[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 146 (Thursday, November 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1771-E1772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO ARLENE GONZALEZ-SANCHEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2012

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to honor 
Commissioner Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, a visionary leader in our 
community and an inspiration to all of New York.
  Ms. Gonzalez-Sanchez brings more than 30 years experience in the 
field of behavioral health administration, policy development, medical 
research, and expertise integrating accessible systems of care for New 
Yorkers. She is a Cabinet-level, Chief Executive Officer overseeing a 
premier addiction services system with more than 1,500 programs and 
35,000 paid and volunteer professionals which serve 110,000 New Yorkers 
daily.
  Ms. Gonzalez-Sanchez possesses a Masters of Social Work degree in 
Administration/Community Organization from Hunter College School of 
Social Work, as well as a Masters of Science degree in Cell Biology and 
a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Fordham University. She is 
a licensed Masters Social Worker.
  As Commissioner of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and 
Substance Abuse Services, OASAS, her overall vision is to transform the 
fragmented system of care to a comprehensive, integrated, patient-
centered, family-focused system that is accessible and responsive to 
the multiple and complex needs of the behavioral health population of 
today. Under her executive leadership, she has established the Enhanced 
Oversight and Monitoring Initiative to improve programmatic and fiscal 
accountability and quality service delivery throughout the OASAS 
system.
  Before coming to OASAS, Ms. Gonzalez-Sanchez was Commissioner of the 
newly merged Nassau County Department of Mental Health, Mental 
Retardation and Development Disabilities with the Nassau County 
Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Services in Long Island. Ms. 
Gonzalez-Sanchez also held a faculty appointment at Cornell University 
Medical College as an Associate Research Scientist where she spent 
eight years

[[Page E1772]]

in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy working on cardiac and 
molecular biology research. She has numerous publications in medical 
journals and textbooks and has received recognition for her early work 
on DNA sequencing and cloning.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Commissioner Gonzalez-Sanchez 
for her work ensuring high-quality care and services for the most 
vulnerable New Yorkers.

                          ____________________